A nation has no obligation to ensure prosperity to its citizens. People have no right to be prosperous, but rather to be free to earn prosperity by themselves. The more money government takes away, the less money they have to earn that prosperity.

Good theory, but Nasa gets six times ROI.

You argue that if there is a liberty problem (normally *caused* by governments) government should fix it! If a market isn't free until the government is around to fix it?

Agian, if the government isn't a required solution to any problem, why isn't Somalia doing better than anybody?

It is pretty easy to argue that 'acting in the international arena' is not in a nations best interest. Staying the heck out of the international arena is a much better policy.

Agian, if the government isn't a required solution to any problem, why isn't Somalia doing better than anybody?

You're putting words in my mouth.I wrote that governments should act in the national interest (as opposed to individual interest) not that there shouldn't be government.

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You argue that if there is a liberty problem (normally *caused* by governments) government should fix it! If a market isn't free until the government is around to fix it?

"Liberty problems" can be caused by many things besides government, including civil wars, crime, and corruption. These are things you need a government to fix. These are national interests, not individual interests, because a nation can't function properly with these problems.I don't know anything about Somalia. Why do you keep bringing it up?

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It is pretty easy to argue that 'acting in the international arena' is not in a nations best interest. Staying the heck out of the international arena is a much better policy.

It depends what action a nation takes. A nation must promote its own interests both at home and abroad. Any country that is unwilling to fight for liberty quickly loses that liberty.

_________________“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Anonymous

No I am not being sarcastic. Somalia has been in a stable anarchy for nineteen years now. They even formed an informal navy called 'pirates' by the media, to defend their territorial waters from fishing and dumping.

It might be a good argument to not have a space program in Israel, but the Americans want more than just liberty for today from their government.

In fact the American constitution, while establishing the need to promote science and art, forbays the existence of a standing army. So in fact, it is the DoD, not Nasa that should be disbanded.

To wit, "By a declaration of rights, I mean one which shall stipulate freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce against monopolies, trial by juries in all cases, no suspensions of the habeas corpus, no standing armies. These are fetters against doing evil which no honest government should decline. - Thomas Jefferson"

Article 1 Section 8:

"To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;"

Given that the DoD's space budget is twice Nasa's, there is really no way one could oppose Nasa without opposing all of the military.

No I am not being sarcastic. Somalia has been in a stable anarchy for nineteen years now. They even formed an informal navy called 'pirates' by the media, to defend their territorial waters from fishing and dumping.

Now that, surely, is being sarcastic? If not, then I am sure that the two British citizens, kidnapped by Somali pirates from their yacht off the Seychelles (well outside Somali waters) might have something to say. If they are still alive.

People in a society in anarchy are not free. Instead of being ruled by a government, they are ruled by whichever thug has the biggest stick. A constrained, limited government takes peoples freedom away, but less so than they would have their freedom taken away if they would be living in an anarchy. Government is not perfect, it is just better than the alternative.

An unconstrained government can be far worse than anarchy. Organized systems (socialist systems) of taking away people's liberty have resulted in the murder of hundreds of millions of innocents, and the number is climbing every day.